The Pact
by madzbriggsyx
Summary: In the early days of the Spice Girls, Melanie Brown and Geri Halliwell were at each other's throats 24/7. Will they manage to get along? And imagine what could happen when the two begin to get to know each other more, as time progresses. Friendships will blossom and eventually, something more.. AU-RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS-BRALLIWELL


Chapter 1

Melanie Brown stomped out of the rehearsal room of the chaotic semi detached house which occupied five girls in their late teens and marched her way into her shared bedroom, slamming the door behind her.. The five of them had been singing perfectly and performing their hearts out in their last song- up until Geri had sung a wrong note and missed a dance step. To that, Mel told her she'd completely ruined it and she has to concentrate more when they're performing. As usual, Geri took it badly and insulted her back, as she wasn't one to be told what to do. It all escalated from there and ended up in a slagging match, as it always had done in arguments before then.. The door made a loud bang throughout the house and added another dent to the corner of the door from previous tantrums. She walked forwards and bit her teeth together, trying to keep her temper under control. The easily annoyed woman paced up and down between the two beds which sat cramped in the tiny room, pulling her fingers through her hair sharply. Mel pulled her hands into tight fists and clenched to stop herself from yelling out- and before she thought about it, she turned and through her knuckles into the wall, smashing them hard against the brick.

"God, ugh! Geri, Geri, Geri- it's all about bloody Geri! They claim her as the 'leader' and she can't even get a stupid dance step right or sing the right note! It's a bloody joke!" Angry thoughts kept spinning around her head and she had to force herself to sit down before she destroyed the room. Melanie continued to feed her thoughts of hatred and envy, "She thinks she's so great. Just because she's a couple years older doesn't mean she knows any better. And she always acts so offended when I correct something for her- I'm doing her a favour! She needs to learn to stand back and let someone else take charge for once. One of these days I'm gonna end up punching her in the face and give her a reality check, and she'll only have herself to blame for it. One time too many and I'm gonna lose my rag, I swear to god."

Suddenly Mel snapped out of her ranting and heard a timid knock at the door, "Mel?"- It was Victoria. The one that she could go to for comforting, however, she wasn't in the mood for a chat at that second. Mel groaned, she didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. Or anyone any time soon. "What? What do you want?! Come to yell at me for offending little miss I-know-everything? I only corrected her step, you know?!" She heard Victoria sigh behind the door before the rusty handle turned and she stepped in cautiously. Leaning against the door and clicking it shut, Victoria said, "Mel I've not come to shout at you okay?" Mel just rolled her eyes and lay flat on her back. Vicci stepped over to her and pushed her legs out of the way gently and perched on the edge of the bed next to her. "Look, Melanie. We all know it's not just you thats contributing to this screaming match every day with Geri- it's Geri too, we know. And we know that you two have a hell of a fiery relationship.." Mel didn't look at Victoria, she just fiddled with a cushion on her bed. "..But you and Geri have got to try and get along- for the sake of the group! Emma's already spoken to Geri and apparently she said she'll try-however begrudgingly she said it. But you have to try too for it to work. And i know you don't like her, we can all clearly see that. Just please give it a chance, you two barely know each other yet.. Please?"

Mel snorted, unamused. She really did not want to 'try' and get along with the person she disliked most. And yeah, they didn't know each other yet- but she knew enough to know she didn't like her! The two of them sat in silence for a few seconds, until Mel flashed a frightening death stare at Vicci, who just smiled, un-phased, and stroked Mel's face and pulled her fingers through those mad curls. "Please Melanie?" She spoke sweetly, the sweetness that often melted any man she wanted. She danced her fingers across her soft cheek, trying to crumble Melanie's defenses and give in to her, just like everyone else eventually did. Mel chewed her lip, attempting to ignore Victoria playing with her hair like a little girl. Eventually she couldn't take it any longer, "Fine! Fine! I'll try- only as long as she does too though. Because I'm not gonna be all lovey-dovey and then her just walk all over me, okay?" Victoria nodded and smiled as Mel sat up next to her. "Anyway, what do you think you're doing stroking my face you weirdo!"She punched Vicci playfully, causing her to yelp and hold her arm. "Well next time I won't give you the pleasure of stroking your face! I'll just slap it instead, as I clearly should've done." Mel grinned as she took Victoria's outstretched hand and pulled herself up.

They came out of the bedroom together and went downstairs because rehearsal was over and Mel C, Emma and Geri were gathered all together in the living room. As the pair walked in, three sets of eyes were on Mel B as she sat down next to Geri. She turned her head to the confused Ginger Spice, "Hi." she said casually and turned her head towards the TV again. Victoria sat down next to Emma, who gave her a confused look- to which she just shrugged, equally as taken back. Geri lifted her head, as if to say she didn't care that Mel was 'brave' to sit next to her after their violent verbal smack down with each other. The five of them all sat in silence for a few minutes, pretending to watch carefully whatever was playing on the TV (when they were all really waiting for Mel or Geri to do something). But nothing happened- neither looked at each other, neither spoke or even breathed loud enough for the other to comment on it and start a scrap. Mel C coughed and got up, clapping her hands together, breaking the painfully awkward situation. "Anyone want pizzas?" She said, smiling, desperately trying to ease the tension in the air. Victoria got up a little too eagerly and shouted "Yes!"loudly and ran off into the kitchen with Mel C. "Emma come and choose a pizza!" She shouted through the corridor to get her to leave Geri and Mel B alone together in the living room. "Oh, okay!" She got up, taking the hint and exited the living room, closing the door behind her.

Mel B glanced at Geri and sighed. "So Emma spoke to you?" She began. She had to start somewhere, they had to talk otherwise the rest of the band would force them anyway- and that would be even more awkward. Geri turned and face Mel, looking her in the eye, equally as fearless. Both characters were bold and loud and controlling. And neither of them were afraid of the other. That was probably why they disliked each other, because they were used to being the one in control.

Geri nodded. "Yeah, Emma spoke to me. Victoria spoke to you?" Her voice had a stubborn tone underlying it, keeping her confidence at the same height. Mel B nodded back, refusing to let her ego faulter and drop her status of the toughnut."Yeah she did. She said we're both to try and get along- for the group."

"That's what Emma told me too." Geri replied. Melanie turned her body so she was fully facing her enemy and engaging with her as much as possible.

"Look. If we're gonna get along, then we have to compromise okay. So look at me and compromise here!" Geri turned her body so she was in the same position as Mel, legs crossed, looking each other hard in the eye.

"I know Mel. And you've got to be kinder with how you give criticism! Telling me I ruined a performance doesn't exactly want to make me be your best friend!"

"Okay- fine. I'm willing to be nicer if you are willing to stop bossing people around as much! Just 'cause you're older doesn't mean you're better!" Geri bit her lip whilst Mel sat smugly and crossed her arms. "See? Ain't easy is it?"

"Shut up. Fine. I won't be as bossy okay?" Geri said reluctantly.

"Okay. But listen, we're never gonna be best friends. We're too stubborn. We just have to get along. That's all."

"Good then."

The two of them turned away from each other and folded their arms- they were sorted, for the moment at least anyway.

While their little conversation was commencing, Emma, Mel C and Victoria were being silent in the kitchen, listening in. "It sounds like they're alright. We all know they're never going to agree on anything- they couldn't agree on if the sky is blue!" Emma told the others

"In the end, we just need them to be on their best behaviour in rehearsal, else whichever of them is weaker is gonna get kicked off." Victoria replied.

They opened the door to the lounge again, where they saw Ginger and Scary watching the TV in silence. Mel C said cheerily, "We've ordered the pizzas- they'll be here in twenty minutes so not too long." She slumped into the sofa in between the quarelling two and Victoria swung her legs over the three of them, perched on the end, Emma doing the same on Geri's end. Geri rubbed her forehead, "Guys I think I'm gonna have an early night- it's been a long day." She said quite sadly as she lifted Emma off her lap and sat her down in her seat. "Okay Geri." Emma replied and pulled her into a hug, kissing her on the cheek, then whispered "It's all ok." into her ear and let go of her. Geri smiled back down at Emma and hugged Victoria and Mel C goodnight. And just said a short and cold "Night" to Mel B. Which was actually more than she usually said, which would be nothing- or a slap in the face of course, followed by a fight on the floor.

The remaining four Spice Girls all squished onto the sofa and ate their pizzas when it arrived at the door. The delivery guy was apparently really cute according to Baby, who of course smiled especially sweetly when she opened the door to him. Once they had eaten enough pizza to stuff themselves so they couldn't move, Victoria fell asleep on Mel B's knee, which then imprisoned her and left her no choice but to fall asleep with her head leant onto her shoulder because there wasn't really anything else she could do. Mel C nudged Emma awake just as she was drifting off to get the camera and quickly snap Victoria and Melanie asleep together like two children. Once Emma had waited for the picture to appear, she lifted a blanket gently over the top of the two of them and left the polaroid on the sofa arm- as a surprise when they woke up! Emma and Mel C bid each other goodnight and went their separate ways until the morning.

Silence set over the house once again, everyone was peacefully asleep- well four out of five were at least. Geri, who'd said she was in for an early night, hadn't really gone upstairs for some rest. She was in her own room, at the top of the house, like a trapped princess in a tower, crying as quietly as she could. Geri never showed signs of weakness, not in front of the other girls and especially not in front of Mel B. She felt as if she had to be strong for the others, as she was the eldest, as if she broke down, then the other four would crumble. So often, Geri wept alone in an almost silence, just sniffing very quietly. She hated- no, more than hate..Despised arguing with Mel. It had been this way for a while, she knew. But who wants to argue everyday for months on end with a person you adore but hate at the same time? Even though Geri would never ever in a million years admit it to herself, on some level she was jealous of Melanie Brown. She distinctly remembered the first time the pair met- the first words she spoke to the girl were: "I think you are really beautiful." The birth of the envy. The start of the loathing for what Geri felt Mel had and she did not. It's only human to be jealous, but once an inner turmoil starts, and because Geri had an excuse to hate Mel, there was an uncontrollable argumentative unpredictable relationship between the two.

In summary, Geri was confused and green with envy. And she hated herself for it.

The alarm in Geri's bedroom buzzed horrifically loud in her ears at seven-thirty am the next morning. She woke up on the floor- she must've sobbed herself to sleep, just like the few nights before.. Ginger pulled herself up and smacked a hand down on her clock, which sat on the shabby bedside table she'd found at a jumble sale. She loved markets and car boot sales- there was never anything in a shop that she couldn't find for about twenty pounds cheaper second hand. Geri pulled on a tight black cropped t-shirt and some oversized jeans- which she just made fit by tightening with a belt. She tied her hair two tiny pigtails at the front of her head and just left the rest down. Slowly, she eased the creaky door open and stepped out onto the short ledge outside her door before tiptoeing down the stairs, trying not to wake anyone.

Geri was always first up in the house, she got ready and tidied up the mess from the night before, set out the breakfast table ready for the others, made sure she knew her dance steps for rehearsal, started the car and whatever else needed to be done. She could often be seen as the mother of Posh, Baby, Sporty and Scary, even if the other four themselves didn't see it. She was the sensible, driven mind in the chaos of the shared house.

When Geri had made her way down two flights of stairs she stepped forward, and peaking into the living room, controlling her breathing, she saw Vicci asleep on top of Mel B. She stood and stared at the two of them for a few seconds, then spotted the picture Emma had taken last night. She picked it up off the sofa carefully and chuckled to herself discreetly and just ignored whatever she was thinking in her head and continued into the kitchen. Geri washed the glasses and left them to drain on the side whilst she emptied the pizza remains onto a plate and stuck them in the fridge (waste not, want not). She then binned the boxes and put the full binbag of rotten food and crap outside the back door, where it waited for Victoria to take them out. Which of course never happened because she didn't like getting mucky, not at all. It was always done by Mel C in the end..

Just as Geri had finished setting out the plates on the table, Mel B appeared, stretching in the doorway. "Hey." Geri said blankly before turning away swiftly to dry the glasses that she had left to drain earlier. Melanie yawned "Hi." she said back, emotionless. She pulled out a chair from the table and plonked herself down, elbows resting on the surface. Looking in the window above the sink, Geri smirked to herself and got the polaroid out of her pocket from before. She twizzled back round to Mel and laughed, showing her the photograph, "So what happened last night?" Mel snatched the picture from her hand and looked closer at it, smiling, to Geri's surprise. She thought she'd be outraged. "Vicci fell asleep on my knee and then I couldn't move so I just fell asleep too because I didn't really have any other choice." Geri looked around her, left and right.

"Where is she now then?" She asked Mel, still looking at the picture as if it were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.

"Vicci? Oh she's gone to get dressed, do her makeup, whatever.."

"Right well if you're gonna give me half a sentence to work with- I'm going to go and finish whatever other housework has to be done." And with that, Geri marched off out of the kitchen, leaving Melanie alone to sort her own breakfast out. She got up out of her seat, it screeching across the floor as she pushed it back carelessly, and walked over to the fridge. Mel poured herself a freshly dried glass of orange juice and stood, gazing out of the window as she drank it.

Melanie had had a pretty restless night with someone else sat on top of her. The weight had kept giving her a dead leg and she couldn't move to get comfortable. She remembered that she had stayed awake for hours, just thinking to herself. She wantedto try and make things work with Geri, for the sake of the band's success that was going to come in the future. It was just that she was used to being in control and she didn't like it when Geri bossed her around. Mel wanted to be able to use some of her ideas for once, and when Geri said no, she got so infuriated and she couldn't help but shout at her. She knew it had to change- however that may be.


End file.
